CUBS FALL IN 10; SKID HITS 11

Saturday night at Busch Stadium, a Cardinals` rookie in his first major-league at-bat performed the dastardly deed, a 10th-inning single that beat the Cubs 2-1.

In the aftermath, the Cubs` locker room resembled a bomb shelter, where emergency victims sought solace and refuge from the treacherous playing field. Shock has evolved into frustration and anger for the forlorn Cubs, losers of 11 straight games.

Curt Ford, called up just four days ago from Triple A Louisville, lined a pinch-hit single to right off reliever Lee Smith (3-2) to drive in Ozzie Smith with the winning run.

The Cardinals, with seven victories in eight games, took sole possession of first place in the National League East, a half-game ahead of the Montreal Expos. They beat the New York Mets Saturday. The Mets are a game back and the Cubs are 3 1/2 back.

''I never thought it would be like this,'' said the 5-foot-9-inch, 150-pound Ford, who is built more like a Pinto than a pick-up truck.

Ford, 24, pinch-hit for reliever Ken Dayley (1-0). Cardinals` manager Whitey Herzog said he sent the kid to the plate with specific instructions to get a hit and win the game.

''The kid did what I told him,'' Herzog said.

Lee Smith, who entered the game to start the ninth inning, needed the attention of trainer Tony Garofalo when a bug got in his eye, two pitches before Ford swatted the winning hit.

''I wasn`t intimidated at all to face Lee Smith,'' said Ford, who was poised in an onslaught of reporters. ''I just wanted to get a good pitch that I could handle. He (Smith) was behind in the count 2-0 and I was looking for a fastball. He gave it to me low and inside and I was fortunate enough to get the game-winning base hit.''

The Cardinals` 10th began when Ozzie Smith singled. When Tom Nieto squared around to attempt a sacrifice bunt, Lee Smith uncorked a wild pitch that sailed high over the head of catcher Steve Lake, sending Ozzie to second. Nieto proceeded to strike out. Ozzie took off for third as Lee delivered the pitch Ford pulled into right field.

Ford impressed his veteran teammates with his clutch hit.

''He showed he has a cool head under pressure,'' said center-fielder Willie McGee. ''I was impressed with the young man in spring training. He swung the bat well there. To be such a small guy, he pulls the ball with the best of them. He has power. He has pop. It`s a tribute to that young man to face Lee Smith, after never seeing him before, and to be able to pull him.''

The Cubs have lost nine of the 11 games by one or two runs. Saturday night`s loss marked only the second time this season the Cubs have lost a game they led after six innings.

But who`s counting? A loss is a loss is a loss . . .

The Cubs, who managed three hits off three Cardinal pitchers, seemed to have something going in the top of the 10th. Davey Lopes led off with a line single to left-center. When he tried to stretch it into a double, speedy left- fielder Vince Coleman swooped it up and fired a strike to second baseman Tommy Herr.

''Coleman is about the only outfielder in the league fast enough to get over there and make that play and then the perfect throw,'' said Cubs` manager Jim Frey. ''I can`t fault Lopes one bit.''

The Cubs` offensive statistics are beginning to offend Frey. During the 11-game losing streak, the team has hit .236. More significant, they have scored only 29 runs, an average of 2.6 a game.

''At some stage you get mad about it, and I think our club is getting pretty mad about it. I like that. I want them to get mad,'' Frey said. ''There are only a couple of things I want from my players. If you want to play for me, you have to play as hard as you can. I don`t want anybody crying the blues and whining and making excuses. I don`t like that,'' Frey added.

Rick Sutcliffe, whose teammates have managed to score two runs in his last five outings, started for the Cubs. Bob Forsch started and lasted 4 2/3 innings for the Cardinals. A crowd of 49,231 paying customers crammed into Busch Stadium for the second game of this three-game series. It was the sixth largest crowd for a regular-season game at the stadium.

''With any luck, both Sutcliffe and Dennis Eckersley (7-5) could have 10 or 11 victories this year,'' Frey said. ''Scott Sanderson (3-1) could also have three or four more.''

Frey announced that Gary Matthews would start in left field in Sunday afternoon`s game against the Cardinals. He came off the disabled list last Thursday following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on May 29. Matthews, who struck out pinch-hitting Saturday, hasn`t started a game since May 19.

The Cubs typically squandered a scoring opportunity in the third inning. Steve Lake led off with a double down the left-field line. Sutcliffe struck out, then Thad Bosley walked. Ryne Sandberg hit a sharp grounder to third that Tom Lawless bobbled. He picked up the ball in time to beat Lake to the bag at third for a force out. Davey Lopes hit a ground ball to shortstop Ozzie Smith, who flipped to second for the force on Sandberg to retire the side and strand two runners.

The Cubs left another runner in scoring position in the fourth inning. Keith Moreland walked and stole second. It was his sixth theft of the season. He had stolen five in the major leagues before this season. Ron Cey struck out and Chris Speier grounded out to short to end that mild threat.

It was the Cardinals` turn to waste a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fourth. Vince Coleman led off with a line single to center, the Cards` first hit of the game. Willie McGee followed with an infield hit off Cey`s glove at third. Sutcliffe retired Tommy Herr and Jack Clark on fly balls to left and struck out Andy Van Slyke to end the inning. It was Sutcliffe`s fifth strikeout of the game.

In the fifth inning, Forsch hit Lake with a pitch, then walked Sandberg and Davey Lopes. Leon Durham had a one-ball, no-strike count on him when Cardinal manager Whitey Herzog came to the mound to bring in left-hander Ricky Horton.

Horton worked the count full on Durham then walked him to force in Lake and give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Horton got Moreland to bounce into a force play to end the inning.

Forsch was charged with one run on one hit in 4 2/3 innings. He walked six and struck out four.

Ozzie Smith came to within a few feet of tying the game in the bottom of the fifth when his drive hit high off the wall in right field. He wound up on second base with a double. Tom Nieto grounded out to Durham at first, moving Smith to third. Horton hit a hard grounder back to the mound. Sutcliffe bobbled the ball into the air and caught it again before throwing to first for the final out.

The Cardinals tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh. Van Slyke hit a one-out, ground-rule double that bounced over the wall. Steve Braun, pinch-hitting for Tom Lawless, singled to right to score Van Slyke.